The Future: Naruto Fanfiction

Chapter 112-A DIFFICULT PAST

Headmaster Sora's Chambers, The Military Academy

Ming Dai climbs up the stairs to the top of a small tower near the centre of the military academy. From the top of this tower, one could see for miles around and perceive any incoming threats to the military academy. It was once considered that this may be useful as an early warning against enemies, but enemies of such that calibre no longer oppose them. Now the military academy deals with enemies of a much higher standard, with royals and emperors, with mercenaries and imperial guard generals. There is no early warning against people so fast and so mighty.

As Dai reaches the top of the spiral staircase, he knocks before entering into Sora's chambers. The chambers are of a modest size for one of the most powerful men in all of Homeworld, with nothing more than a few personal belongings and a small window for him to gaze out through. As Dai pushes the heavy wooden door open, he notices that his master is straightening the contents of the room, tidying up, something he does so very rarely. Whenever he does tidy though, it is always for the same reason, as Dai has learnt all too well.

"Master, you're leaving us, aren't you?"

"That's right."

"Why now!? You must know that time is limited for us to stay here training?" Dai storms to his master's side. "You must realise that by now Queen Nadia is almost certainly bearing down upon us. You know that the man downstairs, that crazy pocket-worlder, he is the greatest hope that Homeworld has ever had, but he needs guidance. So, why are you leaving now that we need you more than ever?"

Sora looks back at his student. Its easy for him to forget just how young Ming Dai is. Compared to the many students he has taught over the years whom have had hundreds of years' worth of training, Ming Dai is not much older than Naruto. Finding the young man was a miracle, people with such talent are very rarely born and almost always brought into the imperial guard. In many ways, Ming Dai is just like he was when he was younger. Sora can only hope that their fates can be similar and that Dai can support Naruto in the same way he supported Akashi.

"I brought in Juan and Nina because they are more than capable of teaching Naruto," Sora explains, "I have faith in everyone downstairs. Together we are all building a force that will take down Furst. I have faith in you too, but right now I have business that I must attend to urgently."

"What could possibly be so urgent that you would leave us now?"

"I can't say, you know how risky that would be," Sora says quietly, "Nobody can hide from Nadia for long, not even I, so what I am doing must never be spoken, she must never find out. I can't tell anyone, even you, in case you know who takes the information from your mind, you understand that don't you?"

Painful memories return to Dai. He could have lived a much easier life if he had joined the imperial guard. He would likely have become a general eventually. If he had been clever with his plots he could have even gone on to replace one of the royals. That wasn't the path for him though. It was the tremendous pain of his youth that brought him to side with Sora.

"I would never give him anything after what he did to me," Dai says angrily.

"You wouldn't be able to stop yourself. The rage would overcome you and make you weak to his powers. It's not your fault, but you need to trust me now, understood?"

"I understand."

Sora takes a final look in one of his draws, glancing downward for an extended period of time. He has always kept the draws very private, with not even Ming Dai daring to look inside. The Muto family had always been a very private family, Endou Akashi had worked hard to see that this remained so after they became part of the imperial family. Ming Dai has always presumed that it is family heirlooms or photos that are hidden within.